In 1991, styles were changing. Fashion was changing. Careers were rising and falling. A lot of people who may had starred at your local grindhouse were clawing their way across the floor by any means necessary on the downward slope into “straight to video” limbo.

Roddy Piper was on this course with no seat belts and no airbags; he didn’t need any. Jesse Ventura wasn’t doing much of anything. Remember this was before his venture into politics. Ha Ventura’s venture.

In 1991, the two former professional wrestlers co-starred in a pilot for a new television series about, well, two professional wrestlers who become unemployed and decide to join the local police force. Sounds like the premise for an 80’s comedy or a cross between Chips and Police Academy. The concept was weak and the writing was ehh…. It was a lighter shade of trash but, it could be really funny to look at today, as a novelty.

So here’s the rundown on this one and only episode of the show that no one watched.

Tricky Rick MacDonald and Billy the Body Youngblood are two of the best wrestlers in the country (sound familiar). After being told to take a dive under threat of blackmail, they refuse to lose and are immediately kicked to the curb faster than Hulkamania. Too Legit to Quit, I guess.  Now they are out of work and swolled up. No job will hire them. The bills are stacking up in their pleasant apartment. It’s looking tough.

However, after thwarting a robbery, they put their heads together and decide to become cops. Now they can stop crime, clean the streets, serve the community and bodyslam crims.

So look for some light humor. Look for funny faces. Look for oddball coincidences. Look for that inevitable freeze frame. And remember to put your hands up, walk slowly and put your finger on that rewind button. 

R.I.P. Hot Rod.

 Yes. Singing and dancing and all that jazz; pomade and tap shoes; documentaries about actual musicians and two films from a little thing named Prince.

 Okay let’s get Purple Rain out the way. My beer is getting warm.

“Oh no; You’re not talking about Purple Rain in the proper tone.” – You bet your ass I’m not.

PURPLE RAIN (1984)

The best film featuring Prince and the only one of his films not directed by him (what a coincidence). Conceived by himself and written by Albert Magnoli & William Blinn. Purple Rain stars “you know who” with his best backup band to date playing his classic songs. Best part is The TIME. Basically it’s not the greatest musical you can list nor even a great one. P.S. Don’t see Graffiti Bridge!

Now that’s out the way, we can look at some musicals worth your time.

AMERICAN POP (1981)

 – Produced & Directed by the great Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Coonskin, Fire and Ice, Wizards, Lord of the Rings) and starring Ron Thompson. The majority of the films animation was completed in rotoscoping while other parts were done using water colors, live-action shots, and archival footage. American Pop follows four generations of Russian Jews living in America as their lives and careers parallel the history of American popular music. Worth your time and definitely something to own in your collection.

  BEAT STREET (1984) / BREAKIN’ (1984)

 – The godfathers of Hip Hop dance movies. Funny story: When hip hop was just starting as a localized sub-culture stirring up pop culture, Orion Pictures was developing a film about a group of friends living in the Bronx, where each member would represent a different element of the culture, called Beat Street. Hearing rumors of the project moving past preproduction the brothers Golan & Globus wanted to be the ones to make the first Hip Hop movie but focusing more on Breakdancing. Both films were released pretty much around the same time and BREAKIN’ beat out Beat Street at the box office and ushering in the breakdance explosion all over the country. Breakin’ had the dancing and the optimism. Beat Street had some grit and gravity to it. One had rapping Santa Claus’ and the other had Lucinda Dickey. One had an early ICE-T in a studded belt and the other had a SPIT. Both are worth your time. But, stay away from RAPPIN’(1985), Body Rock (1984) and Rooftops (1989).

FOOTLOOSE (1984)

 – The reason Kevin Bacon doesn’t like going to wedding receptions, dances, baby showers, or any of that. Why? Because some DJ is going to spot him and mix in Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” and everyone is going to clap their hands and stare at Kevin Bacon. Yes as long as there’s on-campus housing, people will be into Footloose. Maybe not as much as Dirty Dancing but it’s pretty much a part of our pop culture history. Starring Kevin Bacon, John Lithgow, Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest and Chris Penn. Directed by Herbert Ross. If you’re an alien and have never seen it it’s worth a drunken viewing. See also: Dirty Dancing (1987), Flashdance (1983), Fast Forward (1985), Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (1985), SALSA: the motion picture (|1988).

HAIRSPRAY (1988)

 – a Romantic, Musical, Comedy Film, are all the things that no one thought could be made by John Waters in 1988. John Waters the “king of Bad Taste”, the “pope of trash”, who brought us such films as: Pink Flamingos (1972), Female Trouble (1974), Polyester (1981). Hairspray was the first film to star future talk show icon Ricki Lake and the last film featuring Waters’ star phenomenon DIVINE. When first released, Hairspray only took in an honest $8 million dollars at the box office but with the help of VHS and DVD has become a cult classic and a successful Broadway Musical. See Also: Earth Girls Are Easy (1989), Cry-Baby (1990).

STREETS OF FIRE (1984)

 – Walter Hill and company after the success of 48Hours got together again to work on a passion project. A rock & roll summer action movie with music and neon lights; and chicks; and bikers; and Bill Paxton. Streets of Fire was a mix of retro-50’s with 80’s elements. Starring Michale Pare (Eddie & the Cruisers, Bad Moon), Diane Lane (The Outsiders, The Cotton Club), Rick Moranis (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Ghostbusters), Willem Dafoe (The Loveless, Live & Die in LA, Wild at Heart, Light Sleeper) with a plethora of who’s who before they were who you know them and co-starring Lee Ving the frontman for Los Angeles punk band FEAR. A failure at the box office put the brakes on any sequels but the soundtrack gave the film a cult following. See also:  Dick Tracy (1990).

EDDIE & The CRUISERS (1983)

 – It didn’t make any money at the theaters but, so what. Based on the novel by P.F. Kluge and marketed with the tagline: “Rebel. Rocker. Lover. Idol. Vanished.”. Starring Michael Pare, Tom Berenger (Platoon, Major League, Sliver), Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Sopranos) and Ellen Barkin (Diner, Johnny Handsome, Drop Dead Gorgeous). The perfectly lip-sync’d movie went south while its soundtrack went quadruple platinum after successful screening on HBO in 1984. See Also: Light of Day (1987), Satisfaction (1988).

ZOOT SUIT (1981)

 – Adapted from a Broadway Play of the same name by playwright and director Luis Valdez. Starring Daniel Valdez and Edward James Olmos, both reprise their stage roles for the film. And like the play features music by Daniel Valdez and Lalo Guerrero. The story of set around the real life events of the Sleepy Lagoon Murders and the Zoot Suit Riots, tells the story of a young pachuco gang leader who gets unfairly pinched for a murder in Los Angeles during the 40’s. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy; only to lose to Arthur starring the late Dudley Moore. Edward James Olmos later went on to co-star in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. See Also: Victor Victoria (1982), Fame (1980), Pink Floyd’s The Wall (1982).

That was my rundown of some retro-aged musicals you can sink your teeth into. In the meantime, keep on dancing – dancing – dancing on that rewind button.

After being rejected by all of the networks, David Lloyd (writer on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi and Cheers) was approached by Showtime to air his pilot as a series on their new pay for cable network. The premise of a working class family coming to terms and coming together after a sibling comes out of the closet was just the sort of daring television that Showtime was looking for.

It premiered the summer of 1984 and lasted five years. It was the first situational comedy series ever on cable TV; starring: Robert Walden, Paul Regina, Brandon Maggart, Philips Charles Mackenzie, Hallie Todd, and Robin Riker.

The official synopsis of BROTHERS is: Set in south Philadelphia, Brothers centered around the lives and relationships of the Waters brothers; oldest brother Lou (Brandon Maggart), a somewhat uncouth, but well-meaning construction foreman, middle brother Joe (Robert Walden), a retired placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles and owner of a sports bar called The Point After, and the youngest brother, Cliff (Paul Regina), an aspiring chef.

In the premiere episode, Cliff shocks his family when he runs away from the altar on his wedding day. Instead of getting married, Cliff reveals to his family that he is gay.

The series would go on to deal with issues of sexual identity, love, dating, discrimination, stereotypes exc. But overall it was about people navigating personal relationships.

The series was nominated for numerous Cable ACE awards during its 115 episode run. The only win belonging to Philip Charles Mackenzie for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

Now go on and enjoy the video link below and binge watch the other episodes while they are still there; you can find each season on playlists created by fans on youtube. So stay classy, stay retro and keep your manicured fingers on that rewind button.

Video for season 1 playlist Link :   Brothers – Season 1 (Showtime):

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCDE606E94D5B981A

The first person that came to mind was Taylor Negron.

Born August 1st, 1957 to Puerto Rican parents and raised in California. Taylor was an actor, comedian, painter and playwright. Best known for his roles in Easy Money, The Last Boy Scout, Nothing But Trouble, Better Off Dead, Punchline, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, River’s Edge and more. His television appearances include  Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seinfeld, Reno 9-11.

In 2008, he wrote “Unbearable Lightness of Being Taylor Negron” as well his essays were published in the anthology “Dirty Laundry” and more. He was a member of the “Uncabaret”.

Unfortunately Taylor died from lung cancer at the age of 57. He was with close friends and family during his final moments.

 Clip – The Moth Presents Taylor Negron: California Gothic: 

Fisher Stevens  –

 Born November 27, 1963. Known for his film roles as Eugene “The Plague” Belford (Hackers), Hawk Ganz (Flamingo Kid),  Ben Jabituya/Jahveri (Short Circuit); Television: Frasier, Lost and LAW & ORDER. His best known roles on Broadway include: Jigger Craigin in the 1994 Lincoln Center revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. He had an early success in the 1982 Broadway production of Torch Song Trilogy playing David, the adopted son of the gay protagonist played by the show’s writer Harvey Fierstein, and the original Broadway production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, where he succeeded Matthew Broderick in the starring role of Eugene. Throughout his career, he has acted in and directed more than 50 stage productions.

Fisher has had more than three decades in theater. He co-founded Naked Angels Theater Company in 1986. Co-founded New Media/Documentary Co. in 1996. In June 2010, Stevens made his major theatrical directing debut with John Leguizamo’s one-man show, Ghetto Klown (originally called Klass Klown), which eventually ran on Broadway from March to July 2011. The two had appeared together in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Public Theater about 20 years earlier. On July 13, 2012, PBS debuted Tales From a Ghetto Klown, a documentary about the development of the show which prominently features Stevens.

In 2010, Stevens won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for co-producing The Cove.

Dean Cameron – 

Born Dean Eikleberry on December 25, 1962, in Morrison, Illinois. Best known roles: Summer School(1987) and Ski School (1991). Dean has starred in some short-lived television series like Spencer (1984), Fast Times (1986, a spinoff of the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High), They Came from Outer Space (1990), and Mister Sterling (2003).

He tours with a two person show entitled “The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam” with Victor Isaac; read from Dean’s correspondence with a Nigerian 419 scammer. He’s performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival in 2004 and 2005; “Just for Laughs Fest” and “Upright Citizens Brigade” 2005.

Dean also directed a video for Steel Panther and co-wrote a song for them. He also co-wrote the independent film “Hollywood Palms” and and directed a short film, Glutton Falls and directed/choreographed “Bukowsical”, a sell-out late night musical theater parody at the Sacred Fools Theater Company in Los Angeles, California.

Phoebe Cates –

Born Phoebe Belle Cates; July 16, 1963. Best known roles: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, Private School, Date with an Angel, Bright Lights Big City, Drop Dead Fred, The Anniversary Party.

Retired from acting in 1994 to raise her children with husband and actor Kevin Kline. She briefly returned to acting as a favor to friend Jennifer Jason Leigh in her directorial debut “The Anniversary Party”.

In 2005, Cates opened her own boutique called “Blue Tree”. A downtown style vintage and thrift shop on Madison Avenue.